Always be with You
by Leonard 'the Blade' Victor
Summary: [AU][Tenma's POV] Tenma was playing his N3DS when Tsurugi texted him. Tenma met Tsurugi but he didn't know that this was his last time... Why? [Warning: depression and character's death]


**I was wondering why nobody favorite or follow my FD fandom… I checked the site and it said most of the readers are Americans… C'mon, is my story gone boring because of Starbucks? (giggles)**

**BTW, here's another sad story, inspired from a Kuroko x Aomine fan fiction from Facebook. And I was so happy that I was requested to do a sad KyouTen story… this is the fourth of this, isn't it?**

**Disclaimer, I don't own any Inazuma Eleven franchises.**

**AN: JFA = Japan Football Association **

* * *

**Always be with You**

Today was the end of the year. Everyone was taking a break to celebrate the upcoming New Year. Meanwhile, I was staying up in my bedroom, playing my newly-bought Nintendo 3DS. I played it since after dinner, only to defeat the Elite Four in Pokemon Y. Right after I successfully completed the game, my phone rang. I picked up my phone after putting away my 3dS, only to discover that it was 11pm.

"Tsurugi sent me a message," I murmured, right before I checked the message, "'Meet me at the riverbank. Now.' Riverbank? Why now?"

I was still wondering why. Perhaps he needed a partner to practice football, or perhaps the visit time was over so he needed me to talk with. Or both. I changed my pajamas to my usual attire and headed towards the riverbank, without being noticed by Aki-nee.

I ran towards the riverbank and I could see a pointy-haired guy with his signature purple cape. "Tsurugi!" I shouted happily, and he turned his head towards me and threw a smile.

"Tenma," he was sitting on a bench, with a football below his feet.

I ran towards him and then sat right beside him. "So… are you going to play football with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Tsurugi stood up, kicked the ball towards the field and ran towards it. A second later, I joined him. We passed the ball towards each other and even took turns to be a striker or a goalkeeper. Time flies until the bell rang twelve times. Happy New Year, everyone!

Tsurugi and I decided to take a rest after about half an hour of football.

"That was fun, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

"So Tsurugi, what's your New Year wish?"

"Well…" Tsurugi's smile was disappearing gradually, "**I hope I can see you as frequent… as always…**"

"No way…" I patted his shoulder, "you can always see me, don't you? Plus, we're in the same class and we'll always meet in the foot-"

"No, it won't happen in the future…"

"Why… Tsurugi… Why…?"

"**I'm… moving to Teikoku…**"

"Teikoku? I thought Raimon is the-"

"No, that's not it. Look, I want to stay at Raimon but I have to fulfill my parents' will… I'm sorry…" Tsurugi stood up.

"No way…"

"By the way," Tsurugi turned his head towards me, "thanks for everything. I hope I can see you in the future, but it's impossible, isn't it?" he smirked.

"Tsurugi…"

* * *

A couple of days had passed since I met Tsurugi. It's time to keep calm and move on without him. I'm already a second year and I must make my teammates and my ex-teammates proud.

This afternoon, I made my way towards the football club. Usually Shinsuke, Hikaru, Aoi and Kariya would accompany me to there. And usually Tsurugi would stand beside the club entrance to wait for us. Today, same people accompanied me, we reached the club, but he's not there.

"Captain, do you know where Tsurugi is?" Hikaru asked.

"Is he off to somewhere?" Kariya interrupted.

Shinsuke pouted, "Kariya, don't say like-"

"Yes," I did a poker face, "he told me he's transferring to Teikoku…"

"No way…" Aoi was shocked.

"Well," I faked a smile, "perhaps Hikaru can be the next ace striker, I guess… C'mon, let's greet our senpai."

And then the door was opened, and I could see Ichino, Aoyama, Kirino, Kurama, Nishiki, Midori, Akane and Shindou. All of out upperclassmen wasn't changing their clothes at all, but their faces were… so wrong…

"Shindou-san…" I walked towards him, "what's the matter?" I could see some tears trying to flow out from his maroon eyes. The ex-captain took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry to say but… Tsurugi left us…"

"I knew it… Tsurugi is going to Teikoku and-"

"No, that's not it," Shindou held my shoulders, "**he's gone…**"

"Gone? What do you mean? I don't under-"

"**Shindou's right,**" it was Kirino's voice, "**rumor said he had a trauma… even after operation, doctors said he had only 10 percent of chance to recover himself from that illness… but his brother said he gave up being operated… and…**" Kirino burst out into tears.

"No way…" I murmured, "You're kidding…"

"I'm serious," said Shindou, "I already told Coach Endou about it. The training for tomorrow is cancelled, and we're attending Tsurugi's funeral."

The club had gone pin-drop silence. I could here some of us sobbing while the others made their way to the exit. Eventually I was the only person who's standing still in the club, trying to figure out what Shindou and Kirino meant.

"You're kidding, don't you, Tsurugi?" I faked a smile while staring at his used-to-be locker, "you promised me to enter the JFA squad…"

But my heart was truly bleeding. Tsurugi left us. Tsurugi left me.

He broke our promise, didn't he?

* * *

The next day was the day we attend for Tsurugi's funeral. All of our teammates, classmates, alumnus and coaches and teachers attended his funeral. I could see some of them sobbing in a corner, asking why Tsurugi left us. I could see some of them even had their poker faces on, and they didn't even have a smile. But I felt nothing. I hope I could cry on the spot, but I couldn't.

"Tenma…" it was Shindou, who was holding Tsurugi's smiling picture right after we made a return to the Earth, "don't you feel sad?"

"Useless…" I gently shook my head.

"You're such a coldhearted person," Kariya insulted.

"Kariya, I'm going to high five with your face but… you're right…" Kirino added, "C'mon pals, just look at his last smile."

Eventually, we walked towards Tsurugi's funeral. Tsurugi was still smiling, even in his sleep. Long, deep sleep. His last smile could mean a sign of goodbye to the world, or even meant 'take care, my friends. See you in the future'.

"Am I… really… coldhearted?" I looked at him, murmuring.

Just then, a guy with a pair of crutches walked slowly towards me. I knew him; he's Yuuichi-san, the only brother of Tsurugi. Yuuichi-san was wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of white trousers, and he was holding a letter.

"Yuuichi-san… I'm sorry of your brother…"

"Tenma…" he handed over the letter to me, "Kyousuke told me to give you this. He wrote this before he caught his last breathes."

"Tsurugi's letter? To me?" I received the letter, "thanks..."

"Oh yeah… thank you for taking care of Kyousuke so much…" Yuuichi-san smiled.

"But Tsurugi took care of me too…" I neatly folded the letter and put it into my pocket, "take care, Yuuichi-san…"

"Thanks."

I walked away from the crowd and I was on my way home. Just then, I heard a puppy barking. I met a cute little puppy. I squatted to take a closer look at the Labrador retriever. The male retriever had a fairly yellow fur, along with a pair of golden yellow and sharp eyes, just like what late Tsurugi had. Probably Aki-nee wouldn't reject me from taking care of another dog, plus Sasuke wouldn't feel bored when the puppy was introduced to him.

I made up my decision and called him Tsurugi-chii. I carried him towards the apartment and swore myself to take a good care of him.

* * *

It's been a week since Tsurugi has gone. Yet, I was still sad and depressed because of him. I headed home instead of staying back for training courses throughout the week. Once Shindou even scolded me of not showing off my captain spirit, yet I still made the same mistake.

I was still lying at my bed, with Tsurugi-chii running around on the floor. There was the letter beside my pillow, the letter that Yuuichi-san gave me a week ago. I read it a lot of times every day and I would end up burst into tears, hiding myself with the pillow. This time, I didn't dare to read it as I didn't want to suffer more pain. But this time, my hand unconsciously moved towards the letter, and I ended up opening the letter and reading it.

_Tenma,  
Once you read this, I'm now at a further place, and you would hate me, don't you?  
I'm sorry, but I don't have guts to tell you the truth. I'm sorry of betraying you to team up with Faram Dite, I'm sorry of hurting you so badly and ruined your first day at Raimon… and lots more to sorry about, but it's too late to apologize… Now, all I am is the dust in the wind…  
Most importantly, I'm sorry of breaking the promise, but you could accompany Shindou to the JFA. He's a good player and he's so close with you, plus it's once in a blue moon, you know…  
I hope you're glad, I hope you're happy and fine without me. Please be strong, keep calm and move on without me. **But I promise, I'll always be with you.**  
Take care!  
Regardless from,  
Tsurugi Kyousuke_

Eventually, tears rolled out from my eyes again. But I smiled at the same time.

"Tsurugi… You're important to me… That's why I refused to accompany Shindou to JFA…" I murmured, "You told me that you changed your habit from calling my surname to my given name… and you asked why I didn't call you Kyousuke… Baka… I thought I'm going to… confess at your birthday, but…" I burst out into tears. I hid myself into the pillow and I left my left hand hanging outside the bed, along with the letter.

"Why… Tsurugi… Why…"

Then I could hear Tsurugi-chii barking. I looked at him. He jumped onto my bed, ran towards my face and licked my tears away.

"Stop it, Tsurugi-chii…"

"Awf!"

"Tsurugi-chii…" I sat up.

Tsurugi-chii walked towards my left hand, attempting to take the letter away from me. "No," I quickly took the paper away. But he's not giving up. He barked at the letter constantly and he looked happy.

"Tsu… Tsurugi… is that… you…"

"Arf!" he ran towards me.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Tsurugi's words in the letter became true! He'll always be with me, but in another form.

"I really miss you, Kyousuke…" I hugged him tightly, with tears of happiness on my face, "you know, I'm dying because of you, don't you?"

"Arf!"

"Because I love you… Kyousuke…"


End file.
